Paper 2 Question 2 Skills: Summarising inferences (AQA GCSE English Language) : Revision Note
Paper 2 Question 2 tests you on your ability to write a summary by synthesising and interpreting evidence from both sources, according to a given focus. This will involve exploring both explicit and implicit information, and combining and condensing multiple pieces of information and ideas from Source A and Source B to create a concise and coherent overview.
The following guide contains everything you need to know about answering the synthesise and infer question:
Explicit and implicit meaning
Making inferences
Synthesising
Inferring and synthesising in the exam
Explicit and implicit meaning
Explicit information and ideas refers to the information and points that are directly stated or clearly presented within the text:
It is the surface meaning of the text and does not require any additional interpretation or inference
Implicit information is implied or suggested by the writer, rather than being directly stated:
It allows writers to convey complex ideas, emotions or messages indirectly, enabling you to engage actively with the text
Implicit information can also be interpreted differently by different readers
Let’s explore how explicit and implicit information and ideas are presented in an extract taken from the AQA GCSE June 2019 Paper.
Extract |
|---|
It was still dark. We had at least three hours of darkness to go before daybreak and, as always, I had the sunrise shift. The ocean had continued to build, with an ever-increasing wind that was gusting at 40 knots. The swell had grown and conditions were becoming increasingly frenzied. I began to feel vulnerable again. If we can just make it to daybreak, I thought, it will be easier to read the waves and prepare for the breakers. |
Explicit or implicit? | Idea or information | Evidence | What can we learn from this? |
|---|---|---|---|
Explicit ideas | The time | “It was still dark” | It explicitly states the time, which is during the night |
The weather conditions | “The ocean had continued to build, with an ever-increasing wind that was gusting at 40 knots.” | It explicitly describes the worsening weather conditions, with strong winds gusting at 40 knots | |
The speaker's vulnerability | “I began to feel vulnerable again” | The speaker feels vulnerable in the challenging and potentially dangerous conditions | |
Implicit ideas | The speaker's experience | “as always” and “I began to feel vulnerable again” | It implies that the speaker has encountered similar situations before and this is not their first time facing challenging conditions at sea |
The importance of daybreak | “If we can just make it to daybreak, it will be easier to reаd the waves and prepare for the breakers” | It implies that daybreak will bring improved visibility, allowing for better assessment of the waves and preparation for any potential dangers |
Making inferences
Making inferences is the skill you use to work out the implicit meanings of a text
It requires deeper thinking and analysis
While implicit meaning is working out what has been suggested, making inferences is the process of:
Drawing conclusions
Connecting ideas with evidence
Offering different interpretations
When approaching a text, you might want to ask:
What does this suggest to you about (…) ? | What might you imply from this about (…)? | What does it make you realise (...)? |
Example inferences
Let’s explore a number of inferences which could be drawn from a different part of the same text from 2019:
Evidence | The swell was gathering, and the breaking waves were becoming more frequent. ‘Come on, sun,’ I thought, willing the day to break. Something wasn’t right. |
|---|---|
Inference 1 | The “swell was gathering” and the “breaking waves are becoming more frequent” implies that the ocean is becoming increasingly challenging and dangerous |
Inference 2 | “Something wasn't right” implies that the speaker is feeling a sense of unease or apprehension about the situation |
Inference 3 | The phrase “Come on, sun, I thought, willing the day to break” implies that the speaker is anticipating better visibility and safer conditions once the sun rises |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
It is important to note that making inferences involves some level of interpretation and it is subject to individual perspectives and experiences. Therefore, different readers may draw slightly different inferences when presented with the same information.
Remember, the mark scheme will not prescribe what inferences you should form, but it will look to reward the quality and plausibility of any interpretations that you choose to make.
Synthesising
Synthesising information means combining and condensing multiple pieces of information to create a concise and coherent overview
It requires you to:
Extract the most essential information
Organise it in a logical order
Present it in a way that fully addresses the question
We are now going to explore how you might synthesise two different texts using a short extract from each one.
Source A It was still dark. We had at least three hours of darkness to go before daybreak and, as always, I had the sunrise shift. The ocean had continued to build, with an ever-increasing wind that was gusting at 40 knots. The swell had grown and conditions were becoming increasingly frenzied. I began to feel vulnerable again. If we can just make it to daybreak, I thought, it will be easier to read the waves and prepare for the breakers. |
Source B In a few moments more of the passengers began streaming out onto the deck in a great state of alarm. Last of all, the old Captain, white and hollow-eyed, appeared like a ghost among us. We had not been standing there long when, by some freak chance, the steamship got off the rocks and plunged on through the seething, milky surf; then very suddenly passed out of it into black and comparatively calm water. For ten minutes she sped rapidly and smoothly on. Then it was said that we were stuck fast in the sand of the shore, although no shore was visible in the darkness. |
Now look at an example of Question 2 below:
Q2: You need to refer to Source A and Source B for this question. The writers in Source A and Source B are experiencing a similar type of journey on the sea. Use details from both sources to write a summary of what you understand about their experiences on the sea. [8 marks] |
In order to address this question, you might wish to create a brief overview of each text like the ones below:
Source A overview | Source B overview |
|---|---|
In the darkness at sea, the writer anticipates daybreak during their sunrise shift. The ocean's conditions worsen with strong winds and growing waves, causing the writer to feel vulnerable. They hold onto hope for daybreak, seeking better visibility to navigate the challenging waves ahead. | The passengers on the steamship find themselves in a dangerous situation, as the ship gets off the rocks causing alarm among them. Although the ship passes into calm water, it unexpectedly becomes stuck in the sand near an unseen shore, leaving them in a dangerous position. |
Inferring and synthesising in the exam
Let’s explore how to combine all three skills in the exam. Here is a Grade 9 model paragraph based on the two non-fiction texts above:
Worked Example
In Source A and Source B, both speakers describe a similar situation: being at sea in the darkness and facing challenging sea conditions. In Source A, the ocean’s conditions are worsening with gusting winds and growing swells and the writer's feeling of vulnerability implies a sense of danger and apprehension. The writer's mention of having “at least three hours of darkness to go before daybreak” creates a sense of prolonged anticipation and underscores the challenging and uncertain duration ahead. Nonetheless, there is a sense of hope and anticipation, as the speaker looks forward to daybreak when improved visibility will hopefully better prepare them for any potential dangers that lie ahead.
Similarly, in Source B, the passengers on a steamship also find themselves in a perilous situation. The Captain's appearance as “white and hollow-eyed” suggests he is distressed and concerned about the safety of the vessel and its passengers. In Source B the ship's encounter with rocks and seething surf adds to the sense of danger and unpredictability, followed by a sudden transition to calmer waters. However, the mention of being “stuck fast in the sand of the shore” indicates that the calmness is only temporary and the passengers remain in a dangerous situation. The shifting fortunes of the steamship, from rocky waters to calmness and then back to peril, convey a tense and unpredictable atmosphere.
Overall, both speakers yearn for more stable and safer circumstances.
Learn more and test yourself
For more great tips and tricks, check out our dedicated revision notes on the Paper 2 Question 2 mark scheme and our fully annotated Paper 2 Question 2 model answer.
You can also test yourself on Paper 2 Question 2 with expert-created Save My Exams quiz and exam questions. Try our Paper 2 Question 2 multiple choice questions and answer full questions and get them marked by Smart Mark, our AI model created by English Language experts.
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